If you ever watch a French documentary on Versailles, you may be surprised by the enthusiasm with which the presenter discusses the monument to unchecked autocracy. Instead of focusing on the human costs that went into it and the inequality it represents, the French appear to view it as a critical part of the country’s cultural heritage. It belongs to all of them, not just the long dead Sun King.
In light of that, Xi’s “Chinese dream,” which focuses on the well-being of the nation as a whole rather than that of individual Chinese citizens, makes more sense, doesn’t it?